Friday, May 7, 2010

Friday Day Shift: Open TV Blog

The Friday coverage from Darlington starts at 11:30AM and runs through midnight Eastern Time. SPEED and ESPN2 combine efforts with ESPN2 starting Nationwide Series pre-race coverage at 7PM. Marty Smith, Rusty Wallace and Andy Petree will call the race.

The entire weekend NASCAR TV schedule, including announcers and guests, is posted on the main page of this website on the right side.

Before we get to the live race blog on Friday night, let's use this post to get at some NASCAR TV and media issues that you all seem to feel strongly about. There has been lots of email and comments in recent weeks from fans.

Here are some popular topics:

Jimmy Spencer's show on SPEED called Whats the Deal has been cancelled. There is currently no news on Spencer's future plans with SPEED or any other network.

SPEED confirmed that Darrell Waltrip will be working on select Camping World Truck Series races this season. Rumor is that he will replace his younger brother Michael on those weekends and work with Rick Allen and Phil Parsons. There are currently no plans for Mike Joy to be involved in those telecasts.

Speaking of Darrell Waltrip, a while back he confirmed that he will be partnering with Kenny Wallace and John Roberts on TV. DW will sit in for Kyle Petty on SPEED's RaceDay show while Kyle is off being an analyst for the six TNT races. No official word yet on DW and the Victory Lane program.

Director Roger Goodman (Emmy Awards, Super Bowl halftime) has been brought in by David Hill at FOX to coordinate the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony telecast on SPEED. This could be the highest profile event SPEED has ever produced.

Fast Track to Fame ends the first run of shows on June 7th. Waiting on word from SPEED as to whether this amateur talent show will return for another run during the summer months.

A while back, we asked if the Monday Race Hub show on SPEED could be an hour long, instead of thirty minutes. Rumor now is that all of the Monday through Thursday Race Hub shows will be expanded to an hour. Confirmation should come next week. This is a big decision for SPEED. Lots of work and cost.

Dale Jarrett has the weekend off, so Rusty Wallace will be in the Nationwide Series TV booth for ESPN2 with Marty Reid and Andy Petree. This has not been the best place for Rusty. He thrives in the infield expressing his views, not analyzing replays.

Dr. Jerry Punch has made a very smooth transition back to pit road for ESPN. Punch has quietly been rebuilding his on-air reputation and the drivers seem to really enjoy speaking with him before, during and after the races. Good results from a good move.

FOX again said they made the decision to switch to SPEED for an expanded post-race show on the fly. With another night race on tap Saturday, FOX is in a tough position. AMA Supercross from Las Vegas will be on SPEED during the time the Sprint Cup Series race should end. Expect the SPEED phones to light up with two-wheel fans if NASCAR is inserted on Saturday night.

Comment on any of these TV topics, or introduce one of your own. We expect adult behavior and language at all times. Let's clear the air of issues before the big Darlington weekend begins.

To add your comment, just click on the comments button below. Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.

I have been critical of DW but there is an easy fix to this. Just don't watch Race Day. Typically by the time the show rolls around it is just rehashed news. With twitter, facebook, TDP and others you can get all the information without having to tune in. I may bewrong but I think it was Kentucky, Nashville and Oreilly Raceway Park that DW was in the booth for the CWTS broadcasts last year. On another topic,i think Jimmy Spencer needs to be in a q&a format for fan questions. Hope the coverage this weekend improves.

I happen to think Rick Allen and Phil Parsons handle DW very well because they deal with MW, who can be worse. I actually happen to enjoy DW in the Truck booth because there's really no one for him to root for in that series, until KB or Harv enter the race.

I haven't watched any pre race shows for the past 3 years.Some are too goofy,or feature the same drivers over and over,or just plain unnecessary happy talk.Just watch the race.SPEED was much better 8 years ago.

I just don't think that Fox,Speed,and ESPN get it. My racing worldand apparently most of the responses you read on all blogs arejust fed up with the Waltrips andWallaces. Can't the suits figureout that viewers are fed up with the same old harangue every week.Let them just continue to watchtheir ratings drop.

Why do they let Waltrips and Wallaces infiltrate and destroy shows we would otherwise enjoy? As it is now, many of us don't watch anything they are on if we can avoid it. If it is a race and we can't avoid them, we mute them and listen elsewhere.

ya know...it doesn't take a genius to figure it out (though apparently Pete may have a little trouble following this). Let's make it simple for him. ESPN was doing a very poor job. ESPN made changes. Now they are doing a better job, and we hope that continues when they get to their Sprint program. Fox, on the other hand, got worse, therefore, complaints. Should they make improvements for next season, then yes...we will once again be singing their praises. It's not contradictory, it's simply reacting to what we are given.

Maybe those of us that simply cannot enjoy the Waltrip brothers motor mouthing and self promoting are doing things the wrong way!

Maybe if we stopped griping and hating and never mentioned them at all and talked up everyone else these stupid networks would stop using them! They stupidly believe that the controversy we stir up griping about the Owensboro idiots is a draw for the show.

What I'm saying is that I don't watch the trucks which I love when I hear Mikeys yap running. I won't with DW either. I have just had enough of the self promoting, the band wagon jumping, the constant blather, the rudeness, the know it all attitude's!

Just maybe if they never get mentioned again anywhere they will just go away. The only place I want to see a Waltrip is in my garden alongside the other non-speaking trolls! The only place I want to hear another Waltrip is NOWHERE!

I'm not going to rag on the Waltrips or the Wallaces. After 30yrs teaching in a middle school, I'm very adept at tuning people out. When they annoy me, I just don't hear them.

My chief problem with the race broadcasts is the ADHD camera work. Hopping from bumper-cam, to roof-cam, to in-car cam, face cam, or whatever-cam makes me dizzy. I get no feeling for what is happening on the track.

My favorite chair doesn't move, but with the hop-frog camera work, I sure could use a seat belt and a seasick pill.

I'm realize I'm preaching to the choir with this one but why in the heck does Fox keeps pushing DW? He seems almost uniformly unpopular with NASCAR fans. And, just as an aside, I don't think he's a bad person or insincere in his commentary. I just think he might like the sound of his own voice a little too much.

Pistone is one of those writers who likes to tell fans what to do or think. Much like Kenny Wallace does on Race Day. Neither one of them influence me at all. DW needs to go. Fox's game is has stale as month old bread. What do you do with old bread? You throw it away.

I like watching practice...but generally, I'm surfing or otherwise occupied while it's on. It can be a way to catch up on whose in what paint scheme or ride this week. Not a 'can't miss' show but if I'm home I'll tune in.

I like DW on the truck broadcasts because its a different group than usual therefore he can't just get away with dominating the broadcast like he does on FOX.

That being said Hub being an hour long would be VERY interesting. Might it mean more live interviews and more with various drivers in different series? I hope so.

Pistone...I like the guy when he used to call in on Speedway, but now that he is a full-time host he has really showed to be a shill for the NASCAR cause. Dare he EVER say ANYTHING critical of NASCAR otherwise the check might not clear.

If he has something to say though, feel free to come here and say it rather than hide behind his mic/website/twitter page.

FOX needs to step it up. ESPN did their part, TNT has been on it for 3 years now. Come on FOX!

nice of you to stop by, Pete...j/k. Seriously, I never read the guy so I don't have a clue about him. But it is always wise to pick the times when you know you can be critical of NASCAR without them getting angry at you. Like whenever something that's obviously controversial happens that can't be ignored, and you know everyone will be arguing about it. Those are the times NASCAR can't really hurt you.

btw, some of us do think/say nice things about NASCAR here, when they've done something to deserve it. But it's not really what this blog is about.

Anon 1:27 - Do you really think his opinions are THAT calculated? Seriously?

Sorry, I just couldn't let a character smear slide without comment. And no, I'm not employed by NASCAR, ISC, MRN, PRN, FOX or anyone else, if that's what you think. Just a regular reader of this, as well as many other, blogs.

@anon 9:11--it is a true quote. I follow Pete and saw it as well. He's *always* taking jabs at JD and the Planeteers :(. After one race he said something like "that was a wonderful race on this Planet"

@anon 8:35--no one knows :(.

@TRL--that's the PERFECT description ADHD...oooooo....instead of showing two cars fighting for first lets show the shiny bumper of the car in front of some random driver! Two cars are wrecking oooooo.......let's show this shiny piece of random grass!

Are you speaking to me? I do NOT hate everything about the racing broadcasts.

I've complimented the networks when they do a credible job, and postively wax eloquent when they blow me away. ESPN has really stepped up their game, and I appreciate it.

What I don't like is being talked down to, made fun of, and or have my intelligence questioned by broadcasters whose job it is to bring me the race -- period. Just give me the racing. Leave the smart remarks, comedy act, and HD toys at home.

Here's the problem here: you guys keep making comments as if you represent what most NASCAR fans love and hate. Problem is, you don't. My large, 30+ year group of family and friends loves DW and Fox's coverage. At the races, when everyone is watching their mini-TVs in the camping areas, no one is griping about DW. In the comments sections outside of TDP, you don't get a chorus of anti-DW voices. I know it may be hard to believe, but your opinions don't match up with that of the rank and file fans. 30 years of continuous NASCAR observation tells me that.

Steve, I disagree on that. People DO pay attention to the broadcasts and broadcast crews. Maybe those people that enjoy DW and FOX are the ones that are entertained, but they must have come on the scene since 2001. Anyone who can remember ESPN pre-2001 knows what a quality informative broadcast can be.

DW isn't even the iceberg of the problem. Go talk to some Marcos Ambrose fans and ask them why he fell out of the Daytona 500 or better yet the next week at California. He broke both weeks and did FOX have an interview with the guy? No, they did not. This is a guy they are building up to be a Chase contender yet they can't interview him after a sluggish start to the season?

Maybe our thoughts don't represent ALL of NASCAR-Nation, but I doubt your observation does too. Perhaps your friends and your circle could care less about the coverage, but who are your drivers. If your Gordon, Johnson, Martin, Jr, Stewart, Hamlin, Busch or Edwards fans, then hey your driver is getting press. Tough luck if you like anyone else though. At least that is how it seems.

I think most of us think of ourselves as mainstream...but it's an interesting comment. Many of us go to races, some are 30 year (or 50 year fans!) I tend to pay attention to how things are covered because I find it interesting, but probably a lot of people just enjoy the race and don't give it a lot of thought (nothing really wrong with that.) But this is not unique to racing. If you said "John Madden" five years ago, you'd get a bunch of fans who either loved or hated him just like DW. All sports coverage seems to have those kind of figures (I don't follow NCAA hoops, but I had a boss who couldn't *stand* Dick Vitale...) But once after Raceday last fall, I was talking to a friend who just went off out of the blue on how much she couldn't stand Jimmy Spencer...and so far as I know, she thinks the Daly Planet is from Superman....

I guess I just think we're average fans with maybe a bit more interest in the broadcasting angle.

I don't spend money on Sirius or Showtime. Nor do I complain about not having access; that's my choice. A number of us disagreed on that point, as we do on many things. Just because you choose to ignore that, doesn't make it not so.

An article in today's newspaper compares DW to the wonderful John Madden, saying they're both quite similar. Yeah, that's like saying Northern Arizona University has the same basketball program as Duke. NOT!!! I think we're all on Waltrip overload and different stations keep shoving the brothers down our throats.

BTW, a front page headline talks of continuing drops in Nascar attendance. They're still blaming the economy rather than the really boring racing. Sorry, USA Today, letting the drivers have at it and replacing the wing will not bring the fans back. Now, dumping the Chase and forcing drivers to stop points racing just might do the trick.